gs, but for me nothing has changed since then.Lewi

Harrison, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Sporting Kansas Citys MLS Cup defense will begin on Thursday when the club travels to Red Bull Arena to face Red Bull New York in the Eastern Conference play-in game. Kansas City finished the 2013 regular season in second place, one point back of the MLS Supporters Shield-winning Red Bulls. Sporting went on to win MLS Cup in the playoffs, but the 2014 campaign has been a significant deviation from last seasons success. Once in the discussion for the top seed in the East, a poor second half to the season yielded an abysmal 3-8-1 record after the All-Star Game, dropping Sporting to fifth place in the table. Kansas City concluded its regular season on Sunday with a disappointing 2-0 home loss to the Red Bulls. SKC head coach Peter Vermes cited the teams exhaustion as one of the main factors for the demise. To me, this isnt a bad loss from the point of view that the guys fought and tried, theyre just tired, Vermes said of the loss to RBNY. One is you make technical or tactical errors and the other is you make psychological errors when youre tired, and the guys are. There was really nothing we could do. Im not sure if Im not being clear, but when you have as many guys out as we do, at some point you have to understand you cant replace those guys. We have a salary cap. So were asking guys that are not regulars, not ready yet, to be 34-game times 90-type players. And theyre having to play like that on a regular basis. And not just through one competition, its been multiple. Ive painted those examples before, but I dont walk around with the guys and paint excuses to them based on that. We have to get healthy and I think that if our guys are recovered and healthy, we can give any team in this league a good game. The Red Bulls have also had to contend with CONCACAF Champions League fixtures this season, but head coach Mike Petke seems to have managed the extra fixtures more appropriately. New York essentially enters the postseason at full fitness, a testament to Petkes rotation policy. The Red Bulls rested captain Thierry Henry for Sundays meeting with Sporting, but the team rallied and earned a result in what Petke identified as one of the most enjoyable matches hes witnessed since assuming the managerial duties of his former club. This was one of the more enjoyable games since Ive been a coach, because you put a game plan out and you watch it executed, its a fun thing, Petke said after the match. Thats not always the case, but these guys were disciplined, they did exactly what we wanted to do and Im happy for them. We didnt celebrate like we won anything. Its just a good thing now we can go home and have a home game. Bradley Wright-Phillips stole the headlines by notching both goals on the night to finish with 27 goals on the campaign, tying Chris Wondolowski and Roy Lassiter for the single-season scoring record. But according to goalkeeper Luis Robles, the shutting out SKC striker Dom Dwyer was the biggest contributing factor to helping the Red Bulls march on to three points on Sunday. The thing that stuck out was defensively we limited Kansas Citys chances, said Robles, who only had to make two saves en route to recording his sixth clean sheet of the year. Realistically, they only had the one in the beginning with Dwyer and after that we won every second ball, were chasing balls down and it was a performance that we can really be proud of. Bob Probert Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Nicklas Lidstrom Jersey . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. http://www.cheapredwingsjerseys.com/?tag=adidas-tyler-bertuzzi-jersey . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. Cheap Adidas Red Wings Jerseys . - For a general manager who preaches building through the draft, Reggie McKenzie has struggled to find impact players his first two years in Oakland. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Jake Paterson made 39 saves as the Saginaw Spirit halted the Guelph Storms seven-game win streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action.SAO PAULO - The duel for the Formula One title arrives in Brazil with Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fighting to get into good position ahead of the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi later this month.Rosberg needs to win in Brazil on Sunday to have a real shot at his first title. Hamilton just needs to stay close to his teammate to close in on his second drivers title.The championship cant be decided at Interlagos this weekend because the race in Abu Dhabi will be worth double points, but the result in Sao Paulo will determine how the title fight will be set up for the finale.Hamilton has a 24-point lead and would clinch the title with consecutive second-place finishes or by coming third in Brazil and a second in Abu Dhabi. Rosberg will need to be nearly perfect in both races to keep his hopes alive.Its clear that I need to rely on something happening, Rosberg said. For sure its not enough for me to win, unfortunately, but thats the way it is. In sports, so much can happen, so Im still very optimistic.Hamilton has been on a remarkable run in the final part of the season, winning five straight races to open up a big lead going into the decisive races. He started behind Rosberg in two of the last three races but was still able to overcome his teammate and finish with the victory.Its been quite a phenomenal season, Hamilton said. This year, for sure, has been the best year of my career. I feel like Ive grown as a driver.The 29-year-old Rosberg led the drivers standings early in the season but failed to keep up with Hamilton in the later part. He hasnt won since the German GP at home in July, eight races ago. He stayed within range of hiss teammate by finishing second in five of the last six races.ddddddddddddThe start of Rosbergs struggles began almost at the same time as his relationship with Hamilton deteriorated following contact between them at the Belgian GP. The 29-year-old British driver was angry about being taken out by his teammate and Rosberg was also criticized by team officials.I dont think anything has changed, Rosberg said. It was an intense battle before and it still is an intense battle now. I dont know his exact opinion on things, but for me nothing has changed since then.Lewis has done a little bit of a better job since then. Thats it, pretty simple, Rosberg added. But as I say, still two races (left).The title race remains undecided in great part because of the rule change that made the season-ending race worth double points, a move aimed at keeping fan interest alive throughout the season.Great news that for sure this year I have a chance to win the championship the way it is now, thats a good thing, Rosberg said. Im also happy because its good for the fans and that its going to be exciting until the very end. For sure it keeps me very, very optimistic.It will be the last race at Interlagos before an extensive renovation at the paddock and pit areas. There were some safety changes for this year, including the addition of runoff areas and a new pit entrance and pit exit.Its a lot safer now, Williams driver Felipe Massa said. I hope we will see less accidents than in the past.Rain is expected for the weekend, which could add even more unknowns to the title race. The Abu Dhabi GP will be on Nov. 23.___Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni ' ' '